IMAGE  EVALUATION 
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Photographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTl^r.N.y    -.4580 

(716)  872-.i303 


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CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibliographically  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


V 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 


I      I    Covers  damaged/ 


Couverture  endommagee 

Covers  restored  and/or  lai 
Couverture  restaurde  et/ou  pellicul6e 

Cover  title  miosing/ 

Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 

Coloured  maps/ 

Cartes  gdographiques  en  couleur 

other  than  blue 

(i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 

nd/o"-  illustrations/ 
Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 

Bound  with  other  material/ 
Relie  avec  d'autres  documents 


I      I    Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
I      I    Cover  title  miosing/ 

□    Coloured  maps/ 
Carte: 

□    Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couleur 

I      j    Coloured  plates  and/o^  illustrations/ 
I      I    Bound  with  other  material/ 


□ 


□ 


D 


Tight  binding,  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  reiiure  serree  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  le  long  de  la  marge  int^rieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajoutdes 
lors  dune  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte, 
mais,  lorsque  cela  dtait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  6t6  filmdes. 

Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  suppl^mentaires; 


L'institut  a  microfilm^  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  dt6  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sont  peut-fitre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproouite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  m6thode  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiquds  ci-dessous. 


□    Coloured  pages/ 
Pages  de  couleur 


El 


Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommag6es 


I      I    Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 


Pages  restaurdes  et/ou  pellicul^es 

Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxec 
Pages  d^color^es,  tachet^es  ou  piqu^es 

Pages  detached/ 
Pages  d^tachdes 

Showthrough/ 
Transparence 

Quality  of  prir 

Quality  in^gale  de  t'impression 

Includes  supplementary  materi£ 
Comprend  du  materiel  supplementaire 

Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponible 


r~l   Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 

I      I    Pages  detached/ 

I      I    Showthrough/ 

j      I    Quality  of  print  varies/ 

I      I    Includes  supplementary  material/ 

I      I    Only  edition  available; 


D 


Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partiellement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  6t6  filmdes  i  nouveau  de  facon  i 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 
Ce  document  est  filmi  au  taux  de  r6duction  indiqu6  ci-dessous. 
^OX  14X  18X  22X 


26X 


30X 


y 


12X 


16X 


20X 


24X 


28X 


32X 


e 

Stalls 
IS  du 
nodifier 
ir  une 
Image 


The  copy  filmed  here  has  been  reproduced  thanks 
to  the  generosity  of: 

Library  of  the  Public 
Archives  of  Canada 

The  images  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
of  the  original  copy  and  in  keeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specifications. 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  ^♦^  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 

Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


I'exemplaire  filmd  fut  reproduit  grdce  d  la 
g6n6rosit6  de: 

La  bibliothdque  des  Archives 
publiques  du  Canada 

Les  images  suivantes  ont  6x6  reproduites  avec  le 
plus  grand  soin,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  et 
de  la  nettet6  de  I'exemplaire  film6,  et  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmaga. 

Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  imprimde  sont  film6s  en  commenpant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'iltustration,  soit  par  te  second 
plat,  selon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  filmds  en  commenpant  par  la 
premidre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  ie 
cas:  le  symbols  — ^  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbols  V  signifie  "FIN". 

Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  Stre 
filmds  &  des  taux  de  reduction  diffdrents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clichd,  il  est  film*  d  partir 
de  I'angle  supdrieur  gauche,  de  gauche  6  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  ndcessairs.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mdthode. 


rrata 
to 


pelure. 


J 


32X 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

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U:-M 


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Rkcollkctions 


OF  THE  LATE 


WAR    WITH    CANADA 


By  One  of  the  Survivors 


ti 


€anm)i,  |t.  f. 

PRINTED    BT   THE   REPUBLICAN   PRESS   ASSOCIATION 

1889 


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RECOLLECTIONS. 


Concord,  N.  H.,  July  ii,  1892. 

From  my  infancy  I  have  been  imbued  with  a  love  for 
the  military.  My  earliest  recollection  is  of  strutting 
around  with  a  tin  sword  and  a  soldier  cap.  The  step 
and  time  of  marching  soldiers  were  born  within  me.  A 
brass  band  was  a  thing  to  be  followed  for  miles,  and  a 
drum  corps  was  sweeter  music  to  me  than  the  lingering 
notes  of  the  dulcimer.  As  soon  as  I  was  big  enough  to 
wear  knickerbockers  I  began  to  organize  companies  of 
soldiers,  of  which,  by  some  underground  arrangement, 
or  my  natural  cheek,  I  was  always  captain. 

I  do  n't  think  there  was  ever  any  question  raised  about 
that  office.  The  lieutenancies  and  other  positions  were 
parcelled  out  among  my  friends,  but  the  captaincy  be- 
longed to  me  by  prescriptive  right.  Perhaps  the  fact  that 
I  was  born  in  i860,  and  that  my  childhood  was  mingled 
with  the  tap  of  the  drum  and  the  ringing  note  of  the 
bugle,  as  the  troops  marched  and  countermarched  through 
our  streets  while  preparing  for  the  field,  may  account  for 
my  passion  for  military  life. 

When  I  grew  a  little  older  I  got  into  the  drum-corps 
business,  and  for  a  year  or  two  I  suppose  I  was  the  most 
unpopular  and  generally  execrated  boy  in  town.  I  had 
a  little  shanty  in  our  yard,  perhaps  eight  feet  square. 


wliich  I  had  built,  and  here  our  drum  corps,  consisting 
of  eight  or  ten  snare  drums,  a  base  drum,  cymbals,  and 
a  fife  or  two  which  could  never  be  heard,  practised  con- 
stantly day  and  night  when  school  did  not  prevent.  The 
roar  and  rattle  and  bang  swept  on  incessantly.  A  pres- 
idential campaign  was  coming,  and  we  wanted  to  be  in 
fine  trim  for  the  torchlight  processions.  Our  repertoire 
was  limited  ;  but  never  did  an  opera  company  rehearse 
its  score  more  faithfully  than  we  practised  those  few 
tunes  on  our  drums. 

We  could  see  heads  stuck  out  of  neighboring  windows 
in  mute  supplication  to  us,  and  frequent  complaints  were 
made  to  our  respective  parents,  but  without  avail.  You 
might  as  well  try  to  dam  Niagara.  Thumpyty-thump  it 
went  on  from  early  morn  till  late  at  night.  I  wonder 
sometimes  that  we  did  not  crack  the  tympanums  of  our 
ears.  There  we  were,  shut  up  in  a  space  say  eight  feet 
square,  and  all  pounding  away  for  dear  life.  Well,  the 
din  was  indescribable.  Since  I  have  grown  to  mature 
years,  some  of  our  former  neighbors  have  told  me  of  the 
agony  they  suff'ered  during  that  period.  I  can  well  im- 
agine it,  but  it  did  not  worry  me  much  at  that  time.  On 
the  contrary,  it  rather  pleased  me  to  think  we  were  mak- 
ing such  a  stir  in  the  world. 

At  last  the  fall  came,  and  with  it  the  torchlight  parades. 
You  ma}'^  well  believe  we  were  there.  We  usually 
turned  out  about  an  hour  before  the  time  set  for  the  pa- 
rade, and  marched  about,  so  as  to  make  the  most  of  it. 
Those  were  glorious  nights  !  I  never  expect  to  have  so 
much  fun  again.  No  march  was  too  long,  no  exertion 
too  severe.  The  only  thing  which  marred  our  happiness 
was  the  fact  that  the  bands  which  happened  to  be  in  the 
processions  near  us  wanted  to  play  sometimes,  and  then 
we  had  to  stop.  This  was  a  great  annoyance  to  us,  for 
we  could  n't  see  how  any  one  could  have  the  poor  taste 


i 


to  prefer  a  brass  band  to  the  delightful  strains  of  a  d»-v.ni 
corps.  Sometimes  we  could  not  restrain  ourselves,  and 
would  break  right  in  while  the  band  was  playing,  creat- 
ing an  indescribable  hubbub.  I  don't  think  the  gentle- 
men of  the  barjd  appreciated  us  or  our  efforts. 

But  the  presidential  campaign  came  to  an  end  ;  the 
drums  were  laid  away  on  the  shelf,  and  I  was  sent  away 
to  college.  I  often  think,  however,  of  the  solid  enjoy- 
ment I  got  out  of  pounding  that  old  snare  drum,  and  I 
never  see  a  drum  corps  without  longing  to  take  hold  and 
bang  away  with  them.  I  think  the  proudest  day  of  my 
life  was  when  Blaine  visited  our  city  during  one  of  the 
Grant  campaigns,  and  it  was  the  happy  privilege  of  our 
drum  corps  to  escort  him  from  the  station  to  the  platform 
in  the  state-house  yard  where  he  was  to  speak.  The 
oration  was  to  be  in  the  afternoon,  and  we  furbished  up 
in  great  shape  for  the  parade.  Our  drums  shone,  and 
our  uniforms  were  put  on  with  all  the  air  possible. 
j    I  When  we  marched  up  through  Main  street  at  the  head 

\M  of  the  procession,  with  Blaine  behind  us  in  a  carriage, 

every  boy  pounding  as  though  his  life  depended  on  it, 
ive  were  proud.  I  never  have  felt  so  well  since,  and  I 
never  expect  to  in  all  the  years  that  may  be  left  to  me. 
I  nearly  broke  my  back,  I  was  so  straight ;  and  my  eyes 
were  tired  for  a  week,  I  strained  them  so  in  trying  to 
keep  in  line  without  turning  my  head.  | 

At  that  age  of  my  life  I  was  very  strongly  inclined  to  % 

go  to  Annapolis  or  West  Point,  and  made  overtures  to  1; 

my  father  on  the  point,  which  were  rather  coldly  met.  |i 

He  evidently  did  not  appreciate  my  extreme  capacity  for 
military  life.  The  matter  was  finally  compromised  by 
sending  me  to  the  Institute  of  Technology  in  Boston.  I 
reluctantly  consented  to  this  arrangement  on  learning 
that  it  was  a  military  school,  and  I  could  wear  a  uniform 
and  drill  three  times  a  week.     I  thoroughly  enjoyed  the 


! 

1 


Institute,  at  least  the  military  part  of  it  and  the  uniform. 
I  wore  the  latter  constantly,  and  was  the  most  self-satisfied 
fellow  in  the  world  when  I  could  come  home  and  parade 
round  the  streets  in  it.  In  my  second  year  I  was  made 
first  lieutenant  of  the  company,  and  my  bliss  was  com- 
plete. At  that  time  the  United  States  government  had 
a  regular  army  officer,  Lieutenant  Hubbell  of  the  First 
Artillery,  stationed  at  the  Institute  to  superintend  the 
drill  of  the  students,  and  I  was  his  firm  admirer  and  fol- 
lower. I  think  I  admired  him  above  all  men  at  that 
time,  and  he  was  very  kind  to  me. 

Sometimes  the  lieutenant  and  the  captain  of  the  com- 
pany would  both  be  away,  and  then  it  was  my  duty  to 
command.  I  don't  know  that  I  was  always  technically 
correct  in  my  commands,  but  I  gave  plenty  of  them,  and 
when  the  drill  hour  was  through  every  boy  was  glad  to 
sit  down  for  a  rest.  I  made  the  most  of  my  opportuni- 
ties. Twice  a  year  we  were  taken  by  Lieutenant  Hub- 
bell  down  to  Fort  Warren,  or  Fort  Constitution,  in  Bos- 
ton harbor,  for  drill  and  rifle  practice.  We  marched 
down  through  Washington  street  with  colors  flying,  and 
a  file  of  buglers  kindly  loaned  us  from  the  fort  at  the 
head.  It  was  grand  ! — at  least  for  me.  When  we  ar- 
rived at  the  wharf  we  embarked  on  the  revenue  cutter, 
which  conveyed  us  quickly  to  the  fort.  Those  were 
red  letter  days  ! 

But,  by  the  time  I  got  through  the  Institute,  advancing 
years  and  study  had  taught  me  that  there  were  other 
things  in  life  than  military  parades ;  and  while  I  had  not 
lost  my  relish  for  martial  music  and  its  concomitants,  I 
had  somewhat  lost  my  desire  to  join  the  army.  I  turned 
my  attention  to  the  more  peaceful  employment  of  study- 
ing law. 


K 


\ 


A  number  of  years  rolled  by,  during  which  my  mar- 
tial spirit  slept,  or  at  least  lay  dormant ;  but  it  needed 
but  the  blast  of  the  bugle  to  arouse  it:  and  when,  in 
1889,  General  Patterson,  who  had  been  commissioned 
General  of  the  N.  H.  National  Guard  by  the  governor, 
offered  me  the  position  of  judge-advocate-general,  with 
the  rank  of  major,  on  his  staff,  I  accepted  with  alacrity. 
Whether  the  general  had  in  mind  my  profound  knowl- 
edge of  the  law  and  my  keen  legal  mind  in  offeting  me 
this  position,  or  whether  he  felt  that  my  extensive 
knowledge  of  tactics  and  brigade  movements  would  be 
of  service  to  him,  I  probably  never  shall  know  ;  but  how- 
ever it  was,  he  did  not  have  a  chance  U  Ter  the  posi- 
tion to  any  one  else.  I  pounced  on  the  ^>ffer  like  a 
hawk  on  a  June  bug,  and  was  on  my  way  to  Boston  to 
order  my  uniform  before  twenty-four  ,mrs  had  n  .<sed. 
Such  .(1  outfit  as  I  ordered  !  I  had  a  fatigm  liniforri,  a 
full-dress  uniform,  a  magnificently  bra  deu  o\ercoat, 
chapeau,  cap,  shoulder  knots,  leggings,  spurs,  sword, 
and  all  the  paraphernalia  of  an  old  soldier  in  the  regular 
army. 

About  this  time  I  was  presented  by  my  brother.  Colonel 
R ,  with  a  very  handsome  thoroughbred  saddle- 
horse,  which  just  completed  my  outfit.  Soon  after  I 
was  commissioned,  the  annual  encampment  of  the  reg- 
ular army  of  New  Hampshire  took  place,  and  I  smelt 
powder  for  the  first  time.  A  great  deal  of  skirmish  fir- 
ing and  battery  practice  was  indulged  in,  and  it  actually 
seemed  quite  real.  I  made  (or  thought  I  did)  a  great 
show  on  parade,  for  my  horse  was  very  intelligent,  and 
supplied  my  lack  of  knowledge  by  his  extreme  good 
sense.     I  believe  in  horse  sense. 

This  encampment  was  very  delightful.  The  camp 
was  beautifully  laid  out,  and  the  Brigade  Staff  were  very 
comfortably  quartered.    We  had  large  and  spacious  tents, 


8 


furnished  with  every  necessary,  and  some  that  were 
not  necessary.  Captain  Gannon,  our  polite  and  efficient 
commissary,  set  for  \  s  a  luxurious  table.  During  the 
day  we  pranced  round  on  our  horses  and  made  ourselves 
conspicuous  in  the  eyes  of  hundreds  of  admiring  young 
ladies,  and  at  night  we  had  a  big  camp-fire  and  a  band 
concert  under  the  brigade  marquet.  It  was  with  great 
sorrow  that  we  broke  camp,  but  we  looked  forward  to 
the  next  year  and  another  picnic. 

Little  did  I  think  that  the  next  time  I  put  my  uniform 
on  it  would  be  for  a  more  serious  and  less  satisfactory 
purpose.  It  never  entered  my  head  that  in  accepting 
the  position,  I  was  ever  to  be  anything  but  a  tin  soldier. 
Such  an  idea  as  actual  service  did  not  occur  to  me.  I 
don't  think  I  am  especially  a  valorous  man,  and  it  seems 
as  though  the  parades  were  really  the  most  enjoyable 
part  of  a  soldier's  life.  The  skip  of  a  musket  ball,  or 
the  ugly  whir  of  a  round  shot,  puts  another  complexion 
on  the  thing. 

For  a  year  or  two  previous  to  1889  Canada  and  the 
United  States  had  been  having  more  or  less  trouble 
about  the  coast  fisheries.  Seizures  had  been  made  of 
fishing  vessels  belonging  to  citizens  of  the  United  States, 
and  many  angry  diplomatic  messages  had  been  ex- 
changed. While  Cleveland  was  president  and  Bayard 
secretary  of  state  nothing  came  of  the  matter  beyond 
wordy  disputes,  but  when  Harrison  was  elected  presi- 
dent and  Blaine  became  secretary  of  state  it  was  another 
matter.  Blaine  was  a  pugnacious  man,  and  wouldn't 
stand  any  funny  business.  He  served  notice  on  Canada 
that  the  seizures  must  stop ;  but  the  Canadian  govern- 
ment did  not  realize  the  difference  in  the  men  with  whom 
it  had  to  deal,  or  else  relied  too  much  on  the  backing 
given  by  England,  and  pursued  its  outrages.  Fisher- 
men who  put  in  for  repairs  were  seized,  their  vessels 


^  „ 


condemned  and  broken  up,  and  the  owners  imprisoned ; 
and  many  other  acts  of  similar  nature  occurred  which 
greatly  exasperated  the  American  people,  especially  as 
negotiations  were  going  on  at  the  time  to  regulate  the 
fishery  question  in  a  peaceful  manner. 

The  government,  through  its  secretary  of  state,  pro- 
tested vigorously,  and  threatened  reprisals  if  the  out- 
rages did  not  cease ;  but,  in  spite  of  all,  the  Canadian 
authorities  kept  on.  At  last,  goaded  to  desperation,  sev- 
eral of  our  new  armed  cruisers  were  ordered  to  Canadian 
waters  to  protect  our  interests.  They  had  not  been 
there  long  before  opportunity  offered  to  see  what  they 
were  made  of. 

An  American  fisherman  ventured  in  near  shore,  owing 
to  stress  of  weather,  and  he  was  immediately  seized  by 
a  Canadian  war  vessel.  The  cruiser  Boston,  which  was 
in  the  neighborhood,  learning  of  the  seizure,  hastened 
with  all  speed  to  the  locality,  and  demanded  of  the  Can- 
adian vessel  the  immediate  surrender  of  the  fisherman. 
This  being  refused,  the  Boston  opened  fire  upon  the 
Canadian,  and  in  less  than  twenty  minutes  sunk  her 
with  round  shot.  Twenty  of  the  crew  were  killed  in  the 
attack,  and  the  rest  reached  the  shore  in  their  boats. 
The  Boston  took  the  fisherman  under  her  charge,  and 
returned  with  her  to  American  waters.  This,  of  course, 
created  wild  excitement  both  in  Canada  and  the  United 
States.  War  was  declared,  and  both  governments  be- 
gan to  arm  for  the  fray.  Canada's  first  move,  naturally, 
was  to  cable  the  English  government  for  assistance  ;  and 
in  less  than  twenty-four  hours  a  dozen  powerful  cruisers 
and  armored  gunboats  were  steaming  across  the  Atlantic 
for  the  scene  of  conflict.  All  the  vessels  of  Great  Britain 
on  the  Atlantic  station  were  also  ordered  to  proceed  to 
Canadian  waters. 

At  that  time  the  United  States  had  just  begun  to  build 


10 


a  modern  navy,  and  but  few  of  the  new  ships  were  com- 
pleted, and  those  of  the  light,  unarmored  cruiser  style 
mostly.  We  were  hardly  in  condition  to  cope  success- 
fully with  England  on  the  seas.  Large  forces  of  men 
were  put  to  work  upon  those  vessels  which  were  in  proc- 
ess  of  construction,  and  every  energy  was  put  forth  to 
get  them  ready  for  sea.  When  war  was  declared  we 
had  perhaps  a  dozen  vessels  which  were  fit  for  actual 
service  ;  the  remainder  of  the  navy  consisted  of  old  hulks 
past  their  usefulness,  and  small  dispatch  boats  and  rev- 
enue cutters. 

What  we  had  most  to  fear  was  the  bombardment  of 
our  sea-coast  cities.  They  were  entirely  unprotected, 
and  our  few  men-of-war  could  hardly  prevent  the  pow- 
erful ironclads  of  England  from  lying  off  the  coast  and 
planting  shells  in  our  most  populous  seaports  at  will. 
Then,  too,  there  was  our  northern  border  contiguous  to 
Canada,  which  must  be  protected.  We  did  not  have  so 
much  fear  about  that,  for  that  was  a  question  of  men  and 
numbers ;  but  still  we  knew  that  in  a  very  few  weeks  at 
the  most  there  would  be  a  vast  army  of  well  trained  Brit- 
ish troops  poured  into  our  Northern  states. 

I  lived  at  that  time  in  an  inland  city  in  New  Hamp- 
shire, and,  of  course,  personally  did  not  fear  the  gun- 
boats ;  but  we  were  deeply  interested  in  the  movements 
of  the  land  forces  to  the  north  of  us.  Any  invasion 
from  that  direction  must  result  in  danger  to  our  homes 
and  property.  The  regular  army  of  the  United  States 
consisted  of  but  twenty-five  thousand  men;  and  while  it 
is  true  that  in  the  United  States  civilians  make  good 
soldiers  in  a  very  short  time,  still  we  could  hardly  get  a 
well  drilled  army  of  any  size  in  the  field  before  England 
could,  by  means  of  her  very  perfect  transport  system, 
throw  fifty  thousand  troops  upon  our  border.  The  pres- 
ident, at  the  first  sound  of  war,  drew  all  the  available 


K 


// 

troops  from  the  West  and  scattered  them  along  the  sea- 
board. A  call  was  immediately  made  for  volunteers, 
and  the  answer  was  so  overwhelming  that  uniforms  and 
equipments  could  not  be  found  fast  enough  to  put  them 
in  the  field.  Of  course  all  these  preparations  took  time  ; 
and  to  guard  against  depredations  and  expected  inva- 
sions of  the  Northern  states  bordering  on  the  Canada 
line,  the  militia  of  those  states  was  ordered  to  take  the 
field  to  protect  the  northern  line  until  a  sufficient  body 
of  troops  could  be  got  in  readiness,  not  only  to  repel 
invasion,  but  to  act  on  the  offensive. 

The  government  was  very  active,  and  managed  the 
preparations  for  war  with  great  skill  and  energy.  But 
the  people  immediately  realized  the  truth  of  the  warn- 
ings which  had  been  repeatedly  given  them  by  compe- 
tent officers  in  the  army  and  navy,  viz.,  that  it  would  be 
impossible  at  a  moment's  notice  to  get  together  a  first- 
class  navy,  with  modern  armament,  and  to  furnish  pro- 
tection to  our  vastly  wealthy  seaport  cities.  However, 
the  English  vessels,  on  their  arrival,  were  rather  slow 
to  act,  and  it  gave  us  a  little  time  to  turn  round  and  put 
ourselves  on  the  oflfensive. 

As  I  have  already  said,  I  was  more  interested  in  the 
movements  of  the  land  forces,  and  particularly  because  I 
was  a  unit  in  the  New  Hampshire  militia.  When  it  be- 
came apparent  that  the  militia  was  to  be  put  in  the  field, 
I  was  in  great  trepidation.  War  was  hardly  my  forte. 
I  didn't  long  for  gore  so  much  as  I  used  to.  I  was  will- 
ing to  let  some  one  else  have  all  the  glory,  provided  he 
would  do  the  fighting;  but  I  couldn't  find  any  hole  my 
size  to  crawl  out  of,  and,  like  many  a  man  in  the  Rebel- 
lion, and  I  suppose,  for  the  matter  of  that,  in  every 
war  that  ever  took  place,  my  pride  came  to  the  rescue, 
and  I  put  a  bold  face  on  it.  The  members  of  the  brig- 
ade staff*  resident  in  C held  frequent  earnest  consul- 


I)' 


m 


12 


li 


tations  on  the  subject.  It  was  a  time  of  great  excite- 
ment. People  began  to  look  upon  us  with  interest. 
Those  who  had  been  wont  to  poke  a  little  quiet  fun  at  us 
about  our  titles  and  holiday  parades,  now  looked  at  us 
with  more  respect. 

At  last  the  order  came  for  us  to  rendezvous  at  Con- 
cord on  the  twenty-eighth  of  June.  The  immediate 
cause  for  the  order  was  the  report  that  the  Canadian 
militia  with  a  few  regular  troops  were  marching  tow- 
ards the  United  States  border  with  a  view  of  attacking 
some  of  the  outlying  towns  in  northern  New  Hampshire 
and  Vermont.  The  people  of  the  northern  part  of  the 
state  were  terribly  excited,  and  urgent  calls  were  made 
upon  the  state  and  United  States  governments  for  pro- 
tection. Upon  learning  of  this  movement  Governor 
Tuttle  immediately  ordered  the  militia  of  the  state  to 
prepare  for  the  field. 

The  response  was  prompt  and  energetic,  and  on  the 
morning  of  the  twenty-eighth  every  train  that  came  into 
■Concord  bore  bodies  of  blue-coated  soldiers.  Upon 
arrival  they  were  immediately  marched  to  the  camp- 
ground on  the  Plains,  where  a  day  or  two  was  to  be 
spent  in  making  final  preparations.  Most  of  the  com- 
panies turned  out  with  full  ranks,  and  there  was  a  great 
deal  of  enthusiasm. 

Immediately  upon  the  arrival  of  the  troops  in  camp 
General  Patterson  took  command,  and  preparations  for 
departure  were  energetically  pushed  forward.  Blank- 
ets, tin  plates,  cups,  knives  and  forks,  and  such  articles 
as  were  absolutely  necessary  in  the  field,  were  issued  to 
the  men.  General  Patterson  called  all  the  commissioned 
officers  of  the  brigade  together  and  made  a  short,  pithy 
speech  to  them,  in  which  he  reminded  them  that  they  were 
about  to  put  in  practice  the  training  which  they  had  been 
receiving  for  a  number  of  years,  and  that  he  expected 


i^ 


IJ 


every  man  to  make  the  cause  his  own,  and  see  that  the  Newr 
Hampshire  militia,  in  this  its  crucial  test,  demonstrate 
that  it  was  something  more  than  a  holiday  organization. 

On  the  morning  of  the  thirtieth  of  June,  at  eight 
o'clock,  the  general  assembly  was  sounded  by  the  brig- 
ade bugler,  and  immediately  the  final  preparations  for 
departure  began.  In  a  few  moments  the  troops  moved 
out  of  their  company  streets  in  heavy  marching  order, 
their  knapsacks  packed,  their  overcoats  rolled  on  top, 
and  their  blankets  secured  in  a  roll  round  the  shoulder. 

The  general,  mounted  on  a  handsome  black  horse, 
took  his  place  at  the  right  of  the  line,  and  the  word  was 
given  to  move  out.  It  was  indeed  a  warlike  sight. 
First  came  the  general  in  command  with  his  staff,  all  in 
fatigue  uniform,  for  all  extras  and  fancy  trappings  had 
been  left  behind ;  then  the  consolidated  band  ;  then  the 
signal  corps;  then  the  three  regiments  of  infantry,  their 
gleaming  gun-barrels  glistening  in  the  bright  rays  of  the 
morning  sun  ;  after  them,  our  crack  battery,  with  Captain 
Piper  at  the  head,  each  yellow  twelve-pounder  rolling 
along  with  an  ominous  rumble ;  and,  finally,  our  small 
but  lively  troop  of  cavalry,  each  man  of  which  had  a 
chicken  "  strapped  to  the  poop  of  his  saddle,"  as  a  news- 
paper correspondent  called  it.  In  the  rear  marched  a 
dozen  notaries  public  with  their  seals  in  their  hands. 
We  took  them  along  in  order  to  execute  affidavits  that, 
we  actually  did  fight.  These  affidavits  would  also  be 
useful  in  securing  pensions  after  the  war  was  over. 

When  we  reached  the  Main  street,  the  band  playing 
'♦Johnny,  get  your  gun,"  we  were  met  by  tumultuous 
applause  from  the  thousands  of  people  congregated  to  see 
us  off.  We  felt  proud,  but  confoundedly  nervous.  We 
realized  that  this  was  the  best  part  of  it.  Major  Cilley 
leaned  over  to  me,  and  said, — "Wish  this  was  all  there- 
was  to  it  1 "  and  every  man  within  hearing  nodded  assents 


14 


At  the  depot  a  long  train  was  awaiting  us,  with  three 
engines  attached,  steam  all  up,  and  everything  in  readi- 
ness for  a  start,  including  Fred  Jones,  who  had  hero- 
ically volunteered  to  conduct  the  train  to  the  seat  of  war. 
The  work  of  embarking  the  troops  was  quickly  accom- 
plished ;  and  with  the  battery  on  flat  cars  and  the  cav- 
alry in  box,  we  moved  slowly  out  of  the  station  amidst 
great  cheers  and  excitement. 

Our  destination  was  the  town  of  Berlin  Falls,  as  indi- 
cations pointed  to  that  place  as  the  first  objective  point 
of  the  Canadian  troops.  This  town  had  grown  up 
within  a  few  years  with  the  mushroom  rapidity  of  a 
Western  place,  and  had  become  quite  an  important  cen- 
tre, indeed,  the  most  important  in  northern  New  Hamp- 
shire, as  a  manufacturing  town.  For  this  reason  it  most 
needed  protection.  There  was  nothing  to  be  gained  by 
attacking  a  farming  community,  but  to  capture  and  de- 
stroy a  town  like  Berlin  Falls,  with  all  its  manufactories 
and  vested  interests,  would  be  to  strike  a  serious  blow  to 
the  state. 

General  Ayling,  the  efficient  adjutant-general  of  the 
state,  had  been  for  some  days  concentrating  supplies 
and  ammunition  at  this  point,  so  as  to  be  ready  for  us  on 
arrival.  Transportation  for  our  baggage,  ammunition, 
etc.,  had  also  been  obtained. 

In  order  to  reach  this  town  we  went  up  over  the 
Concord  &  Montreal  road  to  Whitefield,  and  there  dis- 
embarked, and  marched  overland  through  the  moun- 
tains. At  every  station  we  met  a  perfect  ovation,  and 
refreshments  were  constantl}?^  offered  us,  much  to  the  sat- 
isfaction of  myself  and  others.  We  could  hardly  refrain 
from  weeping,  out  of  pity  for  ourselves,  when  we  saw 
the  deep  awe  and  solicitude  which  were  expressed  on 
every  face  at  the  thought  of  the  almost  certain  death 
into  which  we  were  running  to  save  the  lives  of  those 


I 


who  were  left  by  the  fireside.  Captain  Gienty  said  to 
me,  as  we  sat  on  top  of  the  Baker  heater  in  one  corner 
of  the  car,  "Major,  this  is  a  grave  responsibility  we  are 
taking  upon  ourselves.  Not  only  the  lives  of  our  de- 
pendent people,  but  the  future  of  this  state  and  nation, 
perhaps,  hang  upon  our  efforts.  Let  us  be  brave,  and 
go  down  to  death,  if  necessary,  in  defence  of  the  right." 
These  comforting  and  vertiginous  words  so  fittingly  ex- 
pressed my  own  feelings  that  I  immediately  grasped  his 
hand,  and  we  pledged  ourselves  as  indicated  in  the 
fifth  line  above. 

At  last  Whitefield  was  reached,  and  after  the  guns 
and  horses  were  unloaded  and  saddles  put  on,  we  began 
our  march  through  the  defiles  of  the  mountains  to  Berlin 
Falls.  This  march,  though  rather  hot  and  long,  was 
not  severe,  as  we  followed  a  water  grade  all  the  way, 
and  the  umbrageous  shade  of  the  sinewy  saplings  shed 
shimmering  shadow  slantingly  athwart  our  course,  thus 
mitigating  the  extreme  rigor  of  the  now  zenithward 
climbing  sun.  Towards  night  we  debouched  upon  the 
town  of  Berlin  Falls,  and  encamped  upon  the  outskirts, 
where  good  water,  adulterated  and  unadulterated,  was 
to  be  had.  We  were  soon  surrounded  by  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  place,  who  hailed  us  as  their  deliverers,  and 
we  all  felt  like  patting  ourselves  on  the  back.  As  soon 
as  camp  w^s  pitched  routine  duty  began,  guards  were 
posted,  and  we  began  to  experience  what  discipline  was. 
Through  the  forethought  of  General  Ayling  we  were 
amply  provided  with  every  necessary ;  and  as  darkness 
fell  we  sat  down  to  a  smoking  hot  supper,  which  was 
a  great  refreshment  after  the  long  march.  The  blaz- 
ing camp  fires  were  soon  gleaming  all  over  the  field ; 
and  the  bustle  and  stir  and  the  occasional  challenge 
of  the  sentries  impressed  the  realness  of  our  business 
upon  us. 


i6 


I':  I 


Gradually  the  camp  fires  died  out,  taps  were  sounded, 
and  the  weary  men  sank  to  sleep.  Only  here  and  there 
an  occasional  light  appeared  in  the  tent  of  some  officer. 
All  went  to  bed  with  a  feeling  of  restless  uncertainty, 
for  none  knew,  except  perhaps  the  general,  just  where 
the  Canadian  troops  were,  nor  how  soon  we  should  be 
placed  in  juxtaposition  to  them.  It  was  generally  be- 
lieved among  the  men  that  we  might  expect  an  attack 
any  time.  Few  were  at  all  familiar  with  the  country 
surrounding  the  town,  and  no  one  knew  from  what  direc- 
tion the  attack  would  come.  Perhaps  a  short  explana- 
tion of  the  location  of  the  town  will  be  serviceable,, 
though  one  can  easily  get  at  it  by  looking  on  a  map. 

Berlin  Falls  is  located  upon  the  Androscoggin  river,  in 
the  north-eastern  part  of  New  Hampshire.  This  river  is 
the  outlet  of  the  Rangely  Lake  system,  and  comes  out  of 
the  lakes  some  thirty  miles  north  of  Berlin  Falls.  The 
region  between  the  town  and  the  lakes  is  almost  an  un- 
broken wilderness,  with  scarcely  any  habitations.  It 
had  been  reported  by  natives  and  scouts  sent  out  that  the 
Canadian  milii'a  were  massing  on  the  border  just  north 
of  Errol  Dam,  which  is  at  the  mouth  of  the  lakes;  and 
in  order  to  attack  Berlin  Falls  it  would  be  necessary  for 
them  to  follow  the  river  down  through  the  forest,  as 
there  was  no  other  feasible  way. 

We  had  supposed  that  we  should  remain  at  Berlin 
Falls  and  act  upon  the  defensive ;  but  late  that  night 
word  was  sent  to  the  staff  officers  and  commanders  of 
regiments  that  the  march  would  be  taken  up  again  next 
morning  towards  Errol  Dam,  it  being  the  intention  of 
General  Patterson  to  act  upon  the  offensive  rather  than 
to  wait  and  allow  the  enemy  to  approach  the  town. 

I  did  n't  sleep  much  that  night.  I  kept  waking  up  to 
hear  shells  whizzing  by  my  head  and  feel  the  plunk  of 
a  minie  ball  as  it  buried  itself  in  the  fleshy  part  of  my 


17 

arm.  It  was  but  a  few  hours,  but  it  seemed  days  before 
the  reveille  sounded,  and  I  was  glad  enough  to  get  up, 
though  it  was  hardly  light.  The  grey  light  of  early 
dawn  gave  everything  a  misty  and  indistinct  appearance, 
and  for  a  moment  it  all  seemed  a  dream  to  me.  A  few 
birds  were  piping  their  breakfast  call  in  the  neighboring 
woods,  and  I  could  hear  the  yawns  and  grumblings  of 
the  officers  in  the  adjoining  tents,  who  were  disturbed  in 
their  last  nap.  The  short,  effervescent  snorts  from  the 
next  tent  apprised  me  that  Colonel  Watson,  our  genial 
medical  director,  was  still  floating  on  the  peaceful  waves 
of  elysium.  Thinking  that  he  was  getting  more  than 
his  share  of  enjoyment  I  pulled  back  the  flap  of  his  tent, 
and,  after  shaking  a  bottle  of  Appolinaris  water  vigor- 
ously and  taking  good  aim,  I  uncorked  it  so  that  the 
contents  landed  spitefully  upon  the  doctor's  unprotected 
head.     He  got  up. 

An  amusing  incident  was  reported  to  me  that  day. 
It  seems  that  the  colonel  of  one  of  the  regiments  had 
always  been  in  the  habit  of  having  divine  service  the  first 
thing  in  the  morning,  and  it  was  one  of  the  regular 
things  for  the  bugler  to  sound  the  call  for  such  service 
at  a  stated  time.  On  this  morning,  however,  by  some 
oversight  he  forgot  to  sound  it.  The  colonel  noticed 
the  omission,  and  stepped  to  the  tent  of  the  adjutant. 
Putting  his  head  inside,  he  called, — 

"Adjutant !   has  that  service  call  been  sounded?" 
"  No,  sir,  but  I  guess  it  will  be  in  a  minute." 
The   colonel   returned  to   his   tent,  but   no    call  was 
sounded.     In  a  moment   he   stuck   his   head  in  at  the 
adjutant's  tent  again : 
"Adjutant!" 
"Sir?" 

"That  d d  service's  gone  to  h 1 !" 

Just  then  he  looked  round,  and  there  stood  the  chap- 


i8 

lain  who  had  come  out  to  learn  the  reason  of  the  omis- 
sion.    Explanations  were  in  order. 

As  soon  as  breakfast  had  been  eaten,  the  order  was 
given  to  prepare  for  departure  ;  but  before  leaving  camp 
ball  cartridges  were  issued  to  the  men,  the  caissons  were 
furnished  with  ammunition,  and  the  ammunition  wagons 
and  baggage  trains  were  drawn  up  ready  to  follow  in 
the  wake  of  the  troops.  Three  days'  rations,  consisting 
of  mince  pie,  limburger  cheese,  and  charlotte-russe  were 
issued  to  each  man,  as  it  was  not  certain  when  we  should 
again  be  able  to  cook  a  meal.  The  men  grumbled  a 
little  at  this  coarse  diet,  but  quieted  down  when  informed 
that  it  would  be  impossible  to  carry  in  their  knapsacks 
anything  but  the  most  imperishable  food  on  so  long  a 
march  ;  and  then  another  advantage  occurred  to  them  as 
regards  the  cheese,  and  that  was,  that  if  they  got  tired 
carrying  it,  it  was  strong  enough  to  walk  alone.  I  have 
always  noticed  in  my  reading  of  history  how  much  the 
success  of  troops  in  battle  depended  upon  their  being 
properly  fed  and  nourished,  and  in  this  celebrated  cam- 
paign we  owed  much  of  our  success  to  Captain  Gannon, 
who  so  skilfully  furnished  our  commissariat.  Few  would 
have  thought  of  this  strong  and  nourishing  diet  for  men 
enduring  the  fatigues  of  long  marches  and  hard  fought 
battles.  Captain  Leavitt,  who  seldom  perpetrated  a  pun, 
said  that,  as  Canada  had  turned  loose  the  dogs  of  war, 
Captain  Gannon  had  seized  a  few  for  his  mince  pies. 

Just  as  we  were  about  to  leave  we  were  joined  by  a 
company  of  about  a  hundred  lumbermen  and  wood-chop- 
pers, armed  with  axes,  who  were  to  act  as  sappers  and 
miners.     We  afterwards  found  them  very  valuable. 

It  was  still  early  in  the  morning  when  the  bugle 
sounded  the  signal  for  the  march  to  begin,  and  we  moved 
out  of  camp  and  on  through  the  town.  After  leaving 
the  town,  our  route  lay  along  the  bank  of  the  Androscog- 


sma 


L 


1 


^9 

gin,  and  a  more  beautiful  country  cannot  be  imagined. 
The  valley  is  about  as  broad  as  the  Merrimack  valley, 
bounded  on  both  sides  by  low  hills,  generally  well 
wooded,  and  the  river  winds  its  graceful  way  under 
arching  elms  and  willows  towards  the  sea.  If  our  errand 
had  been  more  peaceful  we  should  have  enjoyed  the 
scenery,  but  our  thoughts  were  bent  in  other  directions. 

At  noon  a  halt  was  made  for  dinner,  and  then  we  hur- 
ried on.  Soon  after  this  halt  we  came  to  the  unbroken 
forest  which  lines  both  shores  of  the  river  clear  to  the 
mouth  of  the  lakes  at  Errol  Dam.  This  country  is  a 
perfect  wilderness  for  about  fourteen  miles,  without  a 
single  habitation  or  sign  of  cultivation.  There  is,  how- 
ever, a  first-class  road  running  along  close  by  the  bank 
of  the  river.  This  road  was  built  by  the  state  a  few 
years  since,  we  believe,  under  the  supervision  of  Dr. 
C.  N.  Towle  and  Col.  J.  A.  White,  of  Concord.  They 
had  no  steam-roller,  of  course,  as  it  was  too  far  away  to 
obtain  one,  but  the  doctor  and  the  Colonel  walked  over 
it  several  times,  and  it  is  as  hard  as  asphalt. 

On  either  side  of  the  road  the  dense,  unbroken  forest 
stretches  away,  and  the  great  trees  meet  overhead,  making 
an  almost  twilight  darkness  at  midday.  When  we  entered 
this  silence  Major  Dow  was  ordered  to  precede  the  main 
column  by  about  half  a  mile,  with  a  company  of  the  third 
regiment  deployed  as  skirmishers,  to  guard  against  an 
ambush  or  surprise.  We  also  made  the  lumbermen,  who 
were  familiar  with  the  region,  useful  in  this  capacity. 

Slowly  the  long  line  of  troops,  with  the  rumbling  cais- 
sons, and  the  creaking  ammunition  and  forage  wagons, 
wound  its  way  beneath  the  great  trees,  from  whose 
branches  long  creepers  and  moss  hung  down.  No  sound 
of  music  broke  the  stillness, — nothing  but  the  tramp, 
tramp  of  the  men,  and  the  thud,  thud  of  the  horses' hoofs 
on  the  hard  ground.     Now  and  then  the  sunlight  would 


20 


»  break  through  some  opening  in  the  trees,  and  glint  for  a 
moment  upon  the  burnished  accoutrements  of  the  men  ;  or 
a  frightened  partridge  would  whirr  across  the  front  of  the 
column  and  disappear  in  the  underbrush.  Tiie  men 
seemed  solemn  and  thoughtful.  The  darkness  and  soli- 
tude had  their  effect. 

It  was  nearly  dusk  when  we  emerged  from  the  fast- 
nesses of  the  forest  into  the  opening  which  surrounds 
Errol  Dam.  And  glad  we  were  to  be  safely  through. 
I  think  the  men  had  a  feeling  that  we  were  likely  to 
be  attacked  at  any  moment.  The  officers,  however, 
were  informed  that  no  attack  was  to  be  feared,  as  our 
scouts  reported  the  enemy  resting  quietly  some  miles 
from  Errol  Dam. 

The  country  opens  out  here,  and  there  are  several 
first-rate  farms,  and  a  small  hotel  which  is  patronized  at 
certain  seasons  of  the  year  by  sportsmen.  This  valley 
can  also  be  approached  by  way  of  Dixville  Notch.  Our 
first  thought  when  we  reached  the  open  was  to  look  for 
the  enemy,  but  no  sign  of  them  could  be  seen.  Every 
thing  was  peaceful  and  quiet.  The  few  farmers  who 
lived  in  the  region  had  taken  their  departure  for  more 
salubrious  climes,  and  we  had  the  whole  place  to  our- 
selves. But,  evidently,  it  was  not  expected  that  we 
should  be  thus  left  to  our  own  devices  long,  for  no  sooner 
were  we  well  out  of  the  woods  than  the  order  was  given 
to  halt,  and  camp  was  pitched.  As  we  had  arrived  first 
on  the  field  we  had  the  choice  of  position,  and  the  next 
thing  to  do  was  to  select  and  occupy  such  position.  The 
only  approach  to  Berlin  Falls  was  by  the  road  we  had 
passed  over,  and,  of  course,  it  was  necessary  to  protect 
that  road. 

Just  a  short  distance  from  the  edge  of  the  woods  a 
small  stream  or  river  runs  into  the  Androscoggin  at  ri'ght 
angles,  and  the  road  crosses    it  on  a  wooden  bridge. 


ill 


ai 


^1/ 


After  crossing  the  bridge  there  was  a  slight  hill  which 
commanded  the  valley.  In  order  to  reach  the  road 
to  Berlin  Falls,  it  was  necessary  to  ascend  this  hill 
and  cross  the  bridge,  or,  at  least,  the  river.  It  did  not 
take  long  to  decide  that  the  hill  was  the  place  to  occupy ; 
and  as  soon  as  camp  had  been  pitched  along  the  small 
river  spoken  of,  all  hands  were  set  to  work  to  fortify  the 
summit  of  the  hill. 

Temporary  earthworks  were  thrown  up,  and  our  lum- 
bermen were  set  to  work  to  fell  trees,  which  were  hauled 
into  position  by  the  team  horses  ;  and  by  midnight,  work- 
ing by  the  light  of  huge  bonfires,  we  had  quite  a  re- 
spectable breastwork  extending  along  our  front  for  a 
hundred  rods,  and  then  making  a  return  at  both  ends 
nearly  Ir  he  river.  Having  made  these  hurried  prepa- 
rations aiid  posted  a  strong  guard,  the  men  were  allowed 
to  turn  in  and  get  what  rest  they  could  after  their  hard 
day's  work. 

Our  scouts  brought  us  in  the  report  that  the  enemy 
were  now  steadily  approaching,  and  might  be  expected 
to  arrive  by  morning.  They  were  estimated  to  number 
about  five  thousand  men,  principally  infantry,  though 
they  had  a  four-gun  battery,  but  no  cavalry.  Of  course 
they  greatly  outnumbered  us,  for,  counting  our  lumber- 
men, supernumeraries,  and  all,  we  could  hardly  muster 
fifteen  hundred.  We  had  the  choice  of  position,  how- 
ever, and  relied  a  great  deal  on  the  superiority  of  our 
men.  We  knew  that  the  Canadian  militia,  which  com- 
posed the  bulk  of  the  troops  advancing  against  us,  were 
rather  poor  material.  What  we  most  feared  was  the 
small  body  of  regular  troops,  which  we  knew  to  be  in 
the  approaching  column.  There  were  but  a  few  com- 
panies of  them,  but  they  were  veterans  who  had  seen 
service  in  foreign  lands. 

After  every  precaution  had  been  taken,  General  Pat- 


22 


terson  summoned  the  staff  to  his  tent  for  a  council.  The 
general  himself,  and  Colonel  Gould,  our  assistant  adju- 
tant-general, \vere  cool  and  collected,  but  the  rest  of  us 
were  a  trifle  excited,  I  think.  We  discussed  the  matter 
informally,  and  then  General  Patterson  requested  each 
man  to  retire  to  his  quarters  and  draw  up  his  own 
scheme  or  idea  of  how  the  battle  should  be  conducted. 
We  were  to  report  again  in  the  course  of  an  hour,  when 
our  respective  plans  would  be  considered. 

In  compliance  with  this  direction  I  went  to  my  tent, 
and,  taking  a  large  sheet  of  paper,  drew  out  a  rough 
map  of  the  field,  showing  our  present  position  and  the 
probable  position  which  the  enemy  would  occupy,  also 
showing  the  weak  points  in  our  line,  and  the  places 
which  must  be  most  carefully  looked  after.  I  then,  after 
a  great  deal  of  study  and  consultation  with  my  extensive 
war  library,  which  I  had  with  me,  outlined  my  plan  of 
action  on  the  back  of  the  sheet.  I  made  it  as  brief  as 
possible,  as  I  knew  time  was  valuable,  and  I  had  in  mind 
the  energy  and  brevity  of  speech  of  such  famous  com- 
manders as  Grant,  Sherman,Von  Moltke,  Col.  Corser,  etc. 

At  the  appointed  hoar  we  hurried  through  the  dark- 
ness and  silence  of  the  night  to  the  general's  quarters. 
We  found  that  he  had  just  returned  from  a  reconnois- 
sancc.  A  lighted  candle  sticking  in  a  potato  was  our 
only  illumination,  but,  by  crowding  round  the  table,  we 
were  able  to  follow  the  plans  as  presented. 

The  general  first  called  upon  Colonel  Gould.  The 
colonel,  who  is  a  man  of  determination  and  an  old  vet- 
eran, explained  his  plan,  which  was,  to  move  forward 
the  first  and  second  regiments  under  cover  of  fire  from 
the  battery,  holding  the  third  and  the  cavalry  in  reserve 
behind  the  earthworks.  Instead  of  moving  the  troops 
forward  in  masses  or  lines,  he  would  throw  out  succes- 
sive strong  skirmish  lines,  and,  if  a  favorable  opportunity 


^. 


^3 


occurred,  he  would  throw  in  the  cavalry  and  the  band. 
Of  course,  in  describing  these  plans  of  battle,  I  give  but 
the  merest  outline.  They  were  all  carefully  drawn  out 
and  illustrated  on  paper- 
Colonel  Watson  thought  we  should  advance  in  column 
of  masses,  and,  at  the  proper  moment,  execute  rear  bat- 
talions left  front  into  line,  bringing  the  left  battalion  on 
the  right  of  the  first  division.  This  would  intimidate  the 
enemy,  who  would  be  unused  to  such  movements,  and 
while  they  were  watching  it  we  could  outflank  them. 

Major  Dow  thought  that  the  first  and  third  regiments 
should  move  out  at  the  rate  of  eighty-five  steps  to  the 
minute,  being  very  careful  to  keep  the  cadence,  and, 
when  within  forty  rods  of  the  enemy,  face  to  the  rear, 
load,  face  about,  and  fire  with  precision.  This  decided 
stand  would  naturally  have  its  effect. 

Major  Cilley  was  of  the  opinion  that  we  should  form 
the  whole  brigade  in  line,  brigade  front,  then,  with  him- 
self as  the  pivot-man,  wheel  in  circle,  gradually  scoop- 
ing in  the  enemy,  and  when  we  had  them  driven  into 
the  centre,  we  should  fall  upon  them  and  kill  them  with 
the  butts  of  our  muskets,  thus  saving  ammunition  for 
rifle  practice  next  summer. 

Captain  Leavitt  thought  we  should  form  line  three  or 
four  hundred  yards  to  the  rear,  and  then  advance  in  col- 
umn of  fours  in  the  following  manner  :  At  the  command, 
"  Forward  !  March  !"  the  first  file  advance  one  step,  and 
resting  their  hands  on  their  knees,  bending  their  backs 
at  a  rif  ht  angle  with  their  legs ;  the  next  file  in  their 
rear  now  advances,  and  vaults  over  the  backs  of  the  file 
in  front,  then  they  in  succession  bend  down.  This  is 
repeated  by  each  succeeding  file,  the  object  being  to  ad- 
vance upon  the  enemy,  but  to  so  disconcert  his  aim  by 
constant  motion  that  no  casualties  should  occur. 

Captain  Gannon  thought  that  every  man's  gun  should 


m 


H 


be  loaded  with  commissary  biscuit,  which  kill  at  four 
miles,  and  then  they  should  evolute  from  a  common  cen- 
tre, gradually  deploying  upon  the  enemy,  executing  at 
the  proper  moment,  "  Wings,  right  forward  !  "  thus  gain- 
ing a  great  advantage  over  the  enemy,  who  would  not 
be  expecting  any  such  move.  It  would  be  very  easy 
then  to  mow  them  down  with  the  aforesaid  biscuit,  and 
all  that  would  be  left  to  do  would  be  to  count  and  bury 
the  dead. 

Captain  Gienty  was  of  the  opinion  that  after  every  man 
had  been  properly  way-billed,  we  should  post  markers 
within  forty  rods  of  the  enemy's  line,  and  then  order  the 
entire  brigade  to  dress  up  on  the  line  so  formed,  the  staff 
remaining  in  the  rear  to  see  that  there  was  a  perfect 
alignment.  After  the  alignment  was  made,  the  order 
should  be  given  to  load,  and  firing  should  be  kept  up  till 
the  enemy  were  all  killed,  or  speechless. 

Captain  Kimball  would  form  line  of  battalions  on  first 
division,  deploying  the  battery  as  skirmishers,  and  using 
the  band  as  a  reserve.  He  would  finesse  for  position, 
and  when  gained  would  fall  upon  the  enemy  with  terri- 
ble slaughter. 

I  was  the  last  man  to  be  called  on,  being  the  junior 
officer  in  time  of  service  present.  I  spread  out  my  intri- 
cate and  carefully  considered  plans  on  the  table,  and, 
after  pointing  out  the  positions  of  vantage  and  disadvan- 
tage, and  clearly  demonstrating  that  the  weak  point  of 
the  enemy  lay  in  the  fact  that  they  had  no  lard  in  their 
supplies — and  no  Canadian  could  live  without  lard — I 
stated  clearly  and  succinctly  my  plan  of  attack,  which 
was,  to  creep  up  as  near  the  enemy  as  we  could  get 
without  being  exposed,  fire,  and  run  like  the  devil.  My 
plan  was  received  with  murmurs  of  appreciation,  and  I 
had  the  extreme  satisfaction  of  having  it  adopted  over 
the  heads  of  all  my  superiors. 


2S 


\   / 


Having  discussed  the  matter  fully,  and  arranged  all  the 
details,  giving  each  regiment  its  position  in  line,  and  fix- 
ing on  a  safe  place  of  retreat  for  the  staff  if  there  should 
be  any  danger,  we  retired  to  our  quarters  to  get  what  little 
rest  we  could. 

I  lay  down  on  my  camp-bed,  with  my  clothes  on,  and 
tossed  and  tumbled.  I  was  uneasy.  I  felt  nervous. 
War  wasn't  what  it  was  cracked  up  to  be.  I  never 
could  bear  the  sight  of  blood.  While  I  was  kicking  my- 
self for  ever  joining  the  militia,  the  flap  of  my  tent  was 
raised,  and  I  nearly  fainted.  I  thought  it  was  some 
blasted  Canuck  who  had  got  the  drop  on  me,  but  was 
greatly  relieved  when  it  turned  out  to  be  only  Major 
Cilley. 

The  major  was  as  pale  as  dish-water,  and  his  mouth 
had  a  droop  that  was  pitiful  to  see.  His  usually  nicely 
curled  moustache  was  lax  and  wilted,  and  had  caught 
between  his  teeth.  He  came  and  sat  down  on  the  bed- 
side, and  we  gazed  dolefully  at  each  other.  He  had  not 
been  there  long  before  Colonel  Watson  appeared,  look- 
ing as  doleful  as  we  did,  and  he  took  his  seat  on  the  bed- 
side. Then  Captain  Leavitt  and  Captain  Gienty,  Cap- 
tain Kimball  and  Major  Dow,  came  sneaking  in  and  took 
their  seats.  Not  a  wcrrd  was  said.  There  was  no  use  for 
words.  A  gloomy  silence  prevailed,  broken  only  by  the 
half  smothered  sighs  of  those  present.  Finally,  Captain 
Gienty  took  courage,  and  spoke  out  the  thoughts  of  all : 

"Boys,  what's  to  be  done?  We're  in  a  bad  mess. 
We're  all  scared,  and  we  needn't  try  and  fool  each 
other." 

Various  suggestions  were  made,  but  none  of  them 
seemed  to  at  all  help  our  case.  We  had  either  to  fight 
or  run.  Major  Cilley  suggested  that  it  was  customary 
for  the  staff*  to  keep  well  to  the  rear,  as  their  lives  were 
too  valuable  to  be  sacrificed ;  but  the  momentary  relief 


M 


26 


occasioned  by  this  was  ruined  by  Captain  Leavitt,  who 
said  that  more  men  were  killed  at  the  rear  than  at  the 
front. 

I  had  been  in  deep  meditation  for  some  time.  It  had 
occurred  to  me  that  strategy  was  the  thing  to  use.  These 
Canadians  were  not  very  brilliant,  probably,  and  we 
might  get  the  best  of  them  by  strategy  so  as  to  save  our 
pelts.  In  my  historical  rea'lings  I  had  been  much  inter- 
ested in  the  fine  strategy  employed  by  Napoleon,  Freder- 
ick the  Great,  and  our  own  Washington.  The  greatest 
battles  had  not  been  won  by  mere  brute  force  and  gun- 
powder, but  by  the  employment  of  unusual  and  unex- 
pected means,  the  taking  advantage  of  some  unlooked-for 
incident.  I  had  an  idea  which  I  thought  might  be  car- 
ried out.  This  idea  came  to  me  like  an  inspiration  ;  but 
I  was  not  sure  we  could  execute  it  for  want  of  the  neces- 
sary material. 

"  Colonel,"  I  asked,  turning  to  our  medical  director, 
*'  what  have  you  for  medicines?  " 

"Oh!  I  have  a  miscellaneous  collection.  Of  course 
I  am  well  prepared  to  look  after  bowel  troubles,  as  they 
are  the  most  frequent  in  camp." 

"  What  have  you  which  would  be  a  speedy  laxative?'* 

"  I  have  a  large  supply  of  calomel  which  acts  very 
rapidly." 

"  But  how  much  have  you  of  it?" 

"  Enough  for  an  army." 

"That's  just  what  I  want.  Now,  captain,"  turning 
to  Captain  Gannon,  "  how  much  ginger  ale  have  you?" 

"About  five  hundred  bottles.  You  know  it  was  put 
in,  as  it  was  thought  it  would  be  a  good  thing  for  the 
troops.  But  what  the  deuce  has  that  got  to  do  with  get- 
ting us  out  of  this  hole?     This  is  no  time  for  fun." 

"  Never  was  more  in  earnest  in  my  life,  captain,"  I 
replied. 


^BUC«7^:. 


27 


"  Well,  for  heaven's  sake,  tell  us  what  the  scheme  is,' 
said  several  voices. 

"  I  do  not  know  as  it  can  be  carried  out,"  I  replied ; 
*'but  here  it  is  : — I  propose  to  take  all  the  ginger  ale  we 
have,  and  put  a  big  dose  of  calomel  in  each  bottle,  and 
cork  it  up  again.  Then  load  it  on  wagons,  with  some 
intelligent  lumbermen  for  drivers,  and  send  them  into  the 
enemy's  lines  to-morrow  morning  just  before  the  battle. 
Let  them  think  it  was  intended  for  us,  but  these  drivers, 
by  some  stupid  blunder,  got  into  the  wrong  camp.  It  will 
be  seized  with  avidity,  and  will  go  the  rounds  of  the  army. 
F've  hundred  bottles  will  go  a  good  ways.  If  it  works, 
there  won't  be  any  battle.  That's  all  there  is  to  my 
scheme.     What  do  you  think  of  it?" 

"  It 's  splendid  !  "  cried  Colonel  Watson  ;  "  and  I  think 
it  can  be  carried  out.     Let's  go  at  it  at  once." 

Those  present  were  ready  to  seize  upon  any  plan  which 
promised  escape  from  their  predicament.  There  was  a 
ray  of  hope  shining  dimly  through  it :  it  was  the  drown- 
ing man's  straw,  and  all  grabbed  at  it  with  both  hands. 

A  few  moments  afterwards  a  ghostly  procession,  head- 
ed by  Colonel  Watson,  moved  towards  the  commissary 
tent  through  the  gloom.  Each  man  carried  a  spoon,  and 
the  work  began.  In  about  an  hour  every  bottle  of  gin- 
ger ale  was  carefully  doctored,  and  corked  up  again. 
Two  trusty  men  had  been  found  among  the  lumbermen, 
who  knew  the  country  well.  Dressed  in  overalls  and 
flannel  shirts,  they  mounted  the  seats  of  the  two  wagons 
loaded  with  the  ale.  Their  instructions  were,  to  make  a 
detour,  and  reach  the  road  by  which  the  Canadians  had 
arrived  ;  then  to  turn  back  on  that  road,  and  drive  straight 
into  the  enemy's  picket  line.  When  halted  by  the  pick- 
ets, they  were  to  express  great  consternation,  and  indicate 
by  their  manner  and  actions  that  they  supposed  they  were 
within  the  Yankee  lines.     Of  course  they  would  then  be 


28 


secured,  and  taken  with  their  loads  to  head-quarters ;  and 
we  expected  that  in  due  time  our  ginger  ale  would  be 
safely  deposited  for  a  season  in  the  well  larded  stomachs 
of  the  Canucks. 

We  timed  the  departure  of  the  men  so  that  they  would 
arrive  within  the  Canadian  lines  just  about  daylight. 
Having  despatched  them,  we  could  do  nothing  more. 
We  felt  a  trifle  better,  but  not  very  well,  thank  you  ! 

As  soon  as  day  dawned  preparations  for  the  fight  began 
upon  both  sides.  We  could  see  the  enemy  hastily  throw- 
ing up  earth-works,  and  companies  marching  hither  and 
yon.  We  were  not  idle.  Our  own  defences  were  strength- 
ened. Last  instructions  were  given  to  officers,  and  every 
precaution  possible  taken  to  insure  success.  It  must  be 
confessed  that,  except  for  superiority  of  position,  our 
chances  did  not  look  very  bright.  We  were  so  heavily 
outnumbered,  and  we  knew  so  little  of  the  pluck  and 
endurance  of  our  men,  that  success  seemed  rather  prob- 
lematical. 

General  Patterson  had  decided  that  we  stood  a  better 
chance  of  beating  them  if  we  made  the  attack,  keeping 
our  works  in  the  rear  as  a  last  resort  and  place  of 
retreat ;  for  the  Canadian  militia  were  as  green  as  our 
men,  and  it  was  quite  possible  that  a  determined  attack 
might  demoralize  them.  We  felt  quite  sure  it  would  us, 
and  did  not  want  to  wait  for  it.  Accordingly,  as  soon  as 
the  men  had  swallowed  a  light  but  appropriate  breakfast 
of  canvas-back  duck  and  champagne,  the  general  made 
his  dispositions  for  the  battle. 

Meanwhile,  Sergeant  Roby  and  myself  had  taken  posi- 
tion in  the  top  of  an  adjacent  tree,  with  a  field  glass, — not, 
I  assure  you,  because  we  feared  death,  but  to  better  watch 
the  enemy.  We  had  a  special  object  to  accomplish.  Not 
one  word  had  been  said  to  any  one  about  our  little  strat- 
agem of  the  preceding  night,  and  those  who  were  in  the 


^9 


, 


secret  were  fearfully  anxious   to   know  whether  it  was 
going  to  work. 

With  our  field-glasses  we  carefully  examined  the  ene- 
my. At  first  we  could  not  discern  the  objects  of  our 
solicitude,  but  finally  we  made  them  out.  The  Canadi- 
ans were  drawn  up  in  line,  and  two  wagons  were  passing 
slo\vly  down  the  front.  From  these  wagons,  bottles  or 
something  of  that  shape  were  being  handed  out  to  the 
men.  Each  man  took  a  drink,  and  passed  it  along  to  the 
next.  We  felt  glad  that  it  was  being  fairly  and  impar- 
tially divided.  We  wanted  every  man  to  have  his  share, 
and  as  the  wagons  went  the  whole  length  of  the  line,  not 
forgetting  the  battery,  we  were  satisfied. 

Having  learned  all  we  wanted  to  know,  we  joyfully 
shinned  down,  much  to  the  surprise  of  some  of  our  friends, 
who  thought  we  had  gone  to  roost  permanently.  I  tipped 
the  wink  to  Major  Cilley,  who  was  feeling  very  ill,  and  to 
the  rest  of  our  coterie  ;  and  the  effect  was  magical.  A 
fierce  and  war-like  expression  settled  on  their  stern  faces, 
and  I  could  see  thatwar  was  their  native  element.  They 
thirsted  for  blood — raw,  hot,  trickling  blood — oceans  of  it. 
No  ordinary  massacre  would  satisfy  us.  We  rushed  for 
our  horses,  and,  with  a  great  clatter  and  banging  of 
swords,  came  tearing  down  to  the  general's  quarters, 
ready  for  action.     He  seemed  quite  surprised  to  see  us. 

Nearly  all  the  commands  were  now  posted,  and,  after 
taking  a  final  glance  over  the  field,  and  stationing  the 
notaries  where  they  could  see  all  and  make  proper  affi- 
davits, the  order  was  given  for  a  strong  skirmish  line, 
under  command  of  Captain  Rolfe,  to  advance.  The 
main  body  was  held  back  for  a  short  time  in  order  to 
feel  the  pulse  of  the  enemy. 

It  was  not  long  before  we,  who  were  anxiously  listen- 
ing, heard  the  crack  of  a  rifle,  and  then  another  and 
another,  and  then  a  constant  rattle,  denoting  that  our 


30 


skirmish  line  had  come  in  contact  with  the  enemy's.  In 
a  few  minutes  Captain  Rolfe  hurried  back  to  report  that 
the  enemy's  pulse  was  io8  to  the  minute.  We  felt  re- 
assured to  hear  this,  but  just  then  the  boom  of  a  cannon 
and  the  shriek  of  a  shot  caused  a  paleness  to  settle  on  our 
faces.  It  told  us  that  the  enemy's  battery  had  opened  up. 
Ours  replied,  and  the  battle  was  fairly  under  way. 

I  glanced  anxiously  round  for  some  kind  of  shelter, 
but  could  see  none,  and  was  obliged  to  keep  my  position, 
being  busily  engaged  in  swallowing  my  heart,  which  kept 
coming  up  into  my  mouth.  My  heart  is  rather  larger  than 
common,  and  I  have  had  an  enlargement  of  the  oesoph- 
agus ever  since  that  battle,  for  which  I  draw  a  pension. 

Suddenly  an  orderly  rode  up  at  a  furious  pace  to  an- 
nounce that  the  enemy  were  approaching.  Upon  learn- 
ing this,  the  general,  in  order  not  to  lose  the  advantage 
of  being  the  attacking  party,  directed  the  bugler  to  sound 
the  advance.  At  this  signal  the  First  and  Third  regi- 
ments moved  out  in  good  order  en  echelon,  under  cover 
of  fire  from  the  battery.  The  Second  regiment,  the  cav- 
alry, and  the  band  were  held  as  reserve.  Major  Cilley 
was  in  command  of  the  band,  while  I  had  been  ordered 
to  bring  in  the  cavalry  at  the  proper  moment. 

All  this  time  I  was  watching  the  enemy  narrowly. 
Would  the  ginger  ale  do  its  work?  Were  we  to  fight  a 
body  of  tough,  copper-bottomed  Canucks,  or  were  we  to 
fight  a  diminishing  line  of  disconsolate  invalids  ?  That 
was  the  question;  and  it  was  a  vital  one  to  me.  The 
enemy's  line  seemed  firm  and  impregnable.  But,  ha ! 
what  is  that  over  to  the  left?  A  half  dozen  men  have 
suddenly  dropped  out  and  are  making  for  the  rear ;  to 
the  right  several  more ;  a  group  from  the  centre ;  more 
from  the  extreme  left ;  a  man  or  two  all  along  the  line  ; 
two  gunners  from  the  battery  ;  three  of  the  regulars, — and 
so  it  goes  on  all  along  the  line  until  there  is  a  steady 


jr 


stream  of  men  hurrying  to  the  rear.  The  officers  are 
rushing  hither  and  thither ;  the  file-closers  are  gesticu- 
lating ;  confusion  reigns.  This  movement  is  noticed  by 
General  Patterson  and  other  officers  with  great  surprise. 
They  thought  it  was  some  kind  of  stratagem  or  trick — 
and  so  it  was.     The  general  was  not  in  our  secret. 

*'  Major,  what  does  that  mean?"  he  asked,  turning  to 
me,  who  stood  near  him. 

"Wait  a  moment  and  you'll  see,  general," was  my  reply, 
in  the  usually  polite  and  courteous  tones  of  militiamen. 

The  number  of  the  stragglers  kept  increasing.  There 
seemed  to  be  a  perfect  exodus  to  the  rear.  We  could 
see  the  officers  riding  furiously  up  and  down  the  line, 
expostulating,  entreating,  threatening,  and  doing  all  in 
their  power  to  stem  the  tide  ;  but  the  movement  kept  on. 
Men  dropped  their  arms  and  ran  for  cover  by  scores. 
The  lines  were  growing  thin,  and  wavering.  The  general 
wanted  no  further  inducement  to  attack  in  earnest.  Turn- 
ing to  the  bugler,  he  ordered  him  to  sound  the  charge, 
and,  after  giving  me  instructions  to  bring  in  the  cavalry 
at  the  right  moment,  he  put  spurs  to  his  horse  and  hurried 
to  the  scene  of  action. 

I  braced  up  and  rode  over  to  the  cavalry,  who  were 
sitting  impatiently  in  the  saddle  behind  the  earthworks, 
waiting  for  the  command  to  go  in.  I  hardly  knew  when 
I  ought  to  order  them  into  action,  but  as  soon  as  I  saw 
that  the  infantry  were  nearing  the  enemy's  left  I  told  the 
captain  to  have  the  charge  sounded.  Without  waiting 
for  any  further  parley  the  bugle  rang  out  its  soul-stirring 
notes,  and  we  swept  over  the  earthworks  at  a  bound.  I 
was  standing  by  the  captain  when  the  order  was  given, 
and  jny  horse,  catching  the  infection,  leaped  to  the  front 
with  great  strides.  In  less  time  than  it  takes  to  read  this 
I  was  tearing  down  the  hill  at  the  head  of  the  whole 
troop.     This  was  not  to  my  taste.     I   had  intended  to 


3» 


remain  safely  in  the  rear,  and  let  the  captain  lead  the 
charge.  I  knew  that  officers  were  generally  singled  out 
by  sharpshooters,  and,  besides,  the  enemy's  battery  was 
very  likely  to  turn  its  attention  to  a  body  of  cavalry 
sweeping  down  upon  it. 

I  pulled  and  yanked  on  my  horse  in  vain  endeavors  to 
hold  him  back  or  turn  him  aside  from  the  line  he  was 
pursuing,  but  I  might  as  well  have  tried  to  hold  a  ring- 
tailed  tornado.  There  was  fire  in  his  eye,  and  he  had 
the  bit  in  his  teeth  ;  his  head  was  stretched  straight  to 
the  front,  while  his  stride  became  longer  and  fiercer.  I 
glanced  behind  for  some  means  of  escape ;  but  there, 
within  half  a  dozen  rods,  was  the  whole  troop  of  cavalry, 
with  swords  drawn,  rushing  and  tearing  after  me  like  an 
avalanche.  Had  I  been  able  to  rein  in  my  horse,  it  would 
have  been  sure  death. 

The  men  behind  me  evidently  thought  I  was  leading 
them,  and  with  hoarse  cheers  they  spurred  their  horses 
to  accelerated  speed.  We  were  now  getting  dangerously 
near  the  main  line  of  the  enemy,  and  I  could  hear  the 
shots  whizzing  by  my  head,  and  could  see  the  ugly  flash 
of  the  field  pieces  as  they  vomited  forth  their  undesired 
pellets.  My  feelings  can  be  better  imagined  than  de- 
scribed ;  but,  seeing  there  was  no  escape,  I  resolved  to 
sell  my  life  as  dearly  as  possible,  and,  drawing  my  sword, 
I  fixed  myself  firmly  in  my  saddle,  ready  for  the  shock. 
On,  on  we  rushed,  the  thunder  of  the  horses'  feet  being 
drowned  in  the  roar  and  rattle  of  the  musketry.  I  felt 
faint,  and  could  hardly  see.  I  felt  a  shock,  heard  a 
crash,  struck  at  something  hard  with  my  sword,  and  then 
found  myself  alone,  way  to  the  rear  of  the  enemy's  line. 
Finding,  after  careful  examination,  that  I  was  not  killed, 
I  gradually  reined  in  my  panting  horse,  and  turned 
round  to  see  what  had  taken  place.  I  sank  back  in  my 
saddle  with  a  sigh  of  relief  and  joy  when  I  saw  diat  we 


JJ 


' 


had  completely  routed  the  Canadians,  and  that  the  rem- 
nant had  thrown  down  their  arms.  Farther  oft'  to  the 
right  the  infantry  had  been  equally  successful,  and  the 
day  was  ours.     The  victory  was  complete. 

My  courage  began  to  return,  though  my  heart  was 
thumping  away  like  a  hydraulic  pump.  I  hurried  back 
to  the  scene  of  action,  and,  after  exchanging  congratula- 
tions with  the  officers,  sent  the  (Tavalry  after  the  great 
body  of  deserters,  which  we  knew  could  not  be  far  off". 
They  had  n't  far  to  go,  nor  much  trouble  in  making  the 
capture.  In  the  neighboring  woods  the  great  mass  of  the 
stragglers  were  found  stretched  upon  the  ground,  and  a 
more  miserable  and  abject  lot  of  prisoners  never  were 
taken.  They  were  driven  into  camp  in  droves,  scarcely 
able  to  walk.  When  we  had  them  all  in,  and  had  made 
a  general  round-up,  we  found  that  we  had  captured  over 
three  fourths  of  the  whole  army,  including  most  of  the 
regulars.  In  addition  to  this,  we  scooped  in  four  thou- 
sand stands  of  arms,  twenty-five  stands  of  colors,  four 
field-pieces,  and  their  whole  baggage  train. 

The  rejoicings  in  camp  that  night  were  without  prece- 
dent. We  had  lost  but  a  few  men,  though  many  were 
severely  wounded.  Great  curiosity  was  expressed  among 
our  men  and  officers  as  to  the  cause  of  the  sudden  deser- 
tion of  so  many  of  the  enemy  at  the  beginning  of  the  action . 
It  soon  leaked  out  that  these  men  were  taken  violently 
ill,  all  at  about  the  same  time,  and  were  obliged  to  fall 
out.  No  explanation  could  be  given  by  the  sufferers 
themselves,  and  those  who  were  in  the  secret  were  mum. 

When  order  had  been  restored,  the  brigade  was  turned 
out  and  thanked  by  General  Patterson  for  its  noble  work. 
The  general  spoke  very  feelingly,  and  it  was  really  a 
proud  day  for  the  New  Hampshire  militia.  When  he  had 
finished  addressing  the  men,  he  called  me  out  in  front  of 
the  line  and   publicly  thanked   me  for  the    magnificent 


34 


manner  in  which  I  had  led  the  charge  of  the  cavalry  and 
the  unprecedented  courage  I  had  displayed.  I  am  a 
modest  man,  and  I  blushed.  My  undaunted  courage 
was  all  the  more  noticeable,  as  one  or  two  of  the  staff 
officers  had  been  a  trifle  weak-kneed.  One  had  been 
found  after  the  action  stuck  in  one  of  the  big  bass  horns 
belonging  to  the  band.  It  seems  he  had  crawled  in  there 
to  get  out  of  danger,  and  couldn't  get  out  again  on  ac- 
count of  the  crook  in  it. 

Thus  ended  the  most  memorable  battle  ever  fought  on 
New  Hampshire  soil.  You  know  the  rest, — how  we  were 
soon  after  relieved  by  United  States  troops  under  General 
Potter,  who  rushed  into  the  service  again  at  the  first 
sound  of  war,  and  how  Canada  was  invaded  and  Mon- 
treal finally  captured,  and  then  Quebec.  You  know, 
also,  how  English  gunboats  lay  off"  Boston,  and  laid  in 
the  dust  hundreds  of  the  finest  buildings  in  the  city  ;  you 
know  the  millions  of  property  that  were  destroyed ;  and 
you  know  also  how,  by  the  intrepidity  of  a  few  men  and 
the  ingenuity  of  Edison,  an  electric  torpedo  was  exploded 
under  each  gunboat,  and  not  only  the  boats,  but  fourteen 
hundred  men,  sent  to  the  bottom  ;  you  know  how  peace 
was  finally  declared ;  and,  lastly,  you  know  that  to-day 
the  star-spangled  banner, — the  flag  of  freedom,  of  peace, 
of  charity,  the  most  beautiful  flag  that  waves  to  the 
breezes  of  heaven, — floats  from  the  walls  of  Qyebec 
and  the  domes  of  Winnipeg,  as  well  as  from  the  capitol 
at  Washington. 


1 


"33«r; 


